44-40 derringer first shots today !

[fortyshooter]

Well today would be the best out of next week or more so packed up the derringer and headed to my soggy range after last several days of snow/rain.
Didn't know what to expect out of this little handful of 44-40 but did know what a 45 Colt Bond derringer felt like. I was surprised how well it shot and how well the 185 gr WC rounds I loaded shot. First two rounds were spread out high and then I was able to get some good grouping.
The derringer stayed planted in my hand and I shot 18 rounds thru it with no busted knuckle or hammer bite to the web of my hand. Now you know when you touch one off from the blast and that short 1 1/2 inch of rifling did a great job keeping the bullets on track. It does what derringers do...get a good sized piece of lead to a target within 15 ft. fast enough to do serious damage and it did so fully penetrating 16 inches of ballistic gel and hitting the 6x6 block backstop. Then I tried my luck at the steel plates and did okay with that from 7 yds. Not a range gun but could get you out of a serious situation. Only thing of note is to make sure you cock the hammer all the way back to reset floating hammer insert to next firing position and best of all the hammer did not take off on this one!

[JEBar]

nice shooting ... I've never accomplished targets like that with my 44 Spl Derringer

[fortyshooter]

nice shooting ... I've never accomplished targets like that with my 44 Spl Derringer

What brand derringer do you have? One thing that did surprise me was how light the rifling cut is in the barrel like just barely there but somehow it works.

[Ernie]

Very impressive but too much derringer for me.

[Vaquero]

Looks like you did get the hang of it.
Good shooting.

RP

[BigAl52]

Nice job Forty. Probably better than I could of done.

[fortyshooter]

Another good thing is it didn't smack or sting my hand and could have shot more but only had 25 rounds loaded and just needed to see how it shot.
Happy with it and my throw together holster worked well also.

[Hatchdog]

Looks like you’re ready to hit the local saloons for some poker.

Glad that little monster didn’t bite the hand that feeds it!

[JEBar]

What brand derringer do you have?

Bond .... my accuracy issues are completely mine, it really shoots surprisingly well

[daytime dave]

Great shooting. I'd say that derringer would have done the trick back in the day and today.

[GFK]

What brand derringer do you have? One thing that did surprise me was how light the rifling cut is in the barrel like just barely there but somehow it works.

I thought the same thing about my Davis Forty. The rifling is so light, I think of it as a smooth bore. Yet, it seems like that it will get the job done, within 5 yards or so. But, I do start to feel it, after about 7 rounds or so:

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[fortyshooter]

Nice shootin with that 38 Special derringer!

[Sir Henry]

Even a Derringer looks evil when it’s black.